Mama Style with Fawn Design

Every mama wants to feel stylish, but if you go to almost any store for a diaper bag, you'll be presented with only a few options, mostly plastic-ish character covered options, so I love that there are finally some stylish options, like Fawn Design, out there. I came across Fawn Design a couple years ago and never looked back, their bags are just the prettiest and can be used for so many different stages in life! They're perfect as a camera bag for photographers, a large purse for mamas to be and even women who aren't expecting! Great for when baby arrives, when your little one turns into a toddler and even after they're out of diapers. Bella has been potty trained since earlier this year and we still carry our Fawn Design Bag with us everywhere, because it's just so stylish and I can fit so many things! I'm a slight over-packer, my thought is that it;s better to have something and not need it than to not have something and need it, so I always have a ton of stuff that I carry in her bag "just in case", plus I use it as my purse as well so I don't have to carry around an extra bag, and let's be honest, this Fawn Design bag is twice as pretty as most purses I see in stores.

I definitely wish that Fawn Design had been around when I first had Bella, I was always trying to fit everything into one little diaper bag and never seemed to have enough room. One of my favorite features of this bag from Fawn Design is that has so much room inside! Literally, it seems to grow as you add more things inside, it just keeps going on and on. It has pockets all around the sides of the bag inside as well as a zipper pocket inside too, and then there is the main compartment which holds everything you need and then more. The outside also has several pockets and a zipper compartment, I love the front pocket because my phone slides down inside there so nicely when I need a free hand and don't want it in my pocket or am wearing a dress without pickets, and the side pockets work great for a sippy cup or water bottle, and I typically store Bella's Epi Pens in one of the side pockets as well to keep them in an easy to reach area in case we would ever have to use them.

We haven't stopped using ours since we got it last year (we seriously use it every single day and take it everywhere with us), we have a black Fawn Design bag, and our newest one is this "bloom" color from their spring collection, I immediately fell in love with the color and knew it would be perfect for us (they have several other simply gorgeous colors as well and have limited edition colors throughout the year). For the moment I'm keeping our black one as well, I'll probably use the bloom bag during warmer months, and then transition back to black during autumn and winter. The black is just so classy, and the bloom is so fresh, they're both beautiful neutral colors and go with everything though! 

Fawn Design bags are made with wipeable faux leather (because you know there are going to be spills and messes made) and the inside also pulls out for easy cleaning (make sure to clan with a damp cloth), this bag has gold zippers and custom hardware (soooo shiny and pretty), and I mentioned pockets before, there are a total of 10! Yes 10 pockets, 4 on the outside and 6 on the inside (including the zipper pocket), and ladies, there is also a key-chain hook inside (I just found this and it is so amazing) so you don't have to dig all the way to the bottom of the bag to find your keys. The straps are made from a durable webbing (similar to a seat belt type material in my opinion). The Fawn Design bag can be worn as a messenger bag or as a backpack (they recently redesigned the straps for backpack wearing and it is so comfortable as a backpack). I love that it can be worn more than one way because it makes life that much easier for me, I can wear is so many different ways and I absolutely love it. We were visiting the museum a few months back and I was wearing it in the backpack style and one of the curators said I'd have to leave it at the desk since they didn't allow backpacks, but all I had to do was flip it around the other way and showed him that it was also a messenger bag and I was allowed to wear it in the museum that way, definitely saved me a trip having to take it back to the car and potentially need something from it for Bella later on in the museum. Just one of the many reasons I love this bag.

These bags are not only perfect for moms (seriously every mama with little ones should own this bag), but dads as well, I have to say that my husband looks pretty good carrying a Fawn Design bag and walking along holding our little girl's hand. If you're needing a new diaper bag, or even if you don't "need" but just "want" (haha), Fawn Design bags are the only way to go. Which color is your favorite? And what is your favorite feature about this bag?

Home Style with Linen & Ivory

Recently I was introduced to the cutest little shop, Linen & Ivory (formerly So Vintage Chic), and I am simply in love with all of her designs. Everything has that farmhouse look that I love and I just love that a lot of the pillows come in linen (one of my favorite fabrics that's just such a classic). We have the Watercolor Paperwhites throw pillow from Linen & Ivory and it is absolutely perfect for spring, I love that daffodil look with the smooth green leaves and bulbs underneath, it looks almost like a watercolor painting and partly like an old botanical poster (which might be my most favorite part). We recently got an off-white sofa so it looks great on it and fits right in with our farmhousy style theme we have going on in the room.

Another pillow I chose was the "Let's Stay Home" throw pillow, because I mean let's be honest: I'm a homebody, and so is Frank, aaaaand so is Bella. We all love staying home and doing nothing, just being in the comfort of our own home is one of the best things to us so this pillow is the cutest statement for our home that everyone always giggles at when they visit.

Since my husband is an expert napper, he can also attest to the comfort of these throw pillows because he loves taking naps on them, me on the other hand, well, I just love looking at them or snuggling them on the sofa, and Bella takes "throw pillow" literally because she loves throwing them all over haha.

Linen & Ivory also sells some other super cute items, I mean, just look at this adorable tea towel! We're a little pie obsessed in our home. A couple summers ago I made like 15 pies in a 4 month time span, and I may have to do that this summer again, because there's nothing better than homemade pie (and cobbler, peach especially) for breakfast. I love that it also matches my pie sign that I was finally able to snag from World Market a couple months back, too cute. Pie is life y'all.

Head on over to Linen & Ivory (formerly So Vintage Chic) and check out the rest of the adorable items they offer! I may just have to get a few more throw pillow cases so I can rotate the pillowcases according to holidays and seasons, how cute would that be?!

Some Thoughts On Motherhood

One thing that really took me by surprise soon after becoming a mama a little over three years ago was the abundance of "mommy wars" and mom judging. We as mama's are at times made to feel that if we don't have the approval of all mom-kind then we are somehow doing this mama-life all wrong, and those kinds of thoughts are harmful to all moms, but especially new mamas.

Awhile back on Instagram, I used to host a once weekly chat loop, and one of the questions I posed to ladies around Memorial Day a couple years ago was "what does freedom mean to you?". I was expecting more, well, you know, more Memorial Day themed answers... And I received one pretty unexpected answer that stuck with me over the years. Instead of everyone saying they were thankful for their country, family, friends, church, etc. I got a few answers on the freedoms of motherhood, or the lack there of that we sometimes experience, and it ended up sparking a small discussion amongst the mamas participating in the chat loop. One mama in particular caught my attention when she said "Freedom to me would mean I can do as I please and not be judged by other moms. I find I'm nervous in big groups because everyone is watching every movement I make with my kids. What I feed them, how I speak to them. It's really become annoying and stressful."

I'm sure we can all relate, I know I sure can. Being a mom isn't easy, from constantly worrying over our little ones to questioning ourselves and wondering if we are making the right decisions and doing the right thing, honestly we don't need extra stress from others questioning/judging us. So why are there so many arguments amongst mothers, especially online, but also in real life?

So many debates over breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding, pro-vaccination vs. anti-vaccination (or selective vaccination), co-everything vs. "free-range" parenting, natural remedies vs. pharmaceuticals, young Mothers vs. waiting until you're older to start a family, stay at home moms vs. working moms, thinking that a mother with only one child knows any less or has any less experience than a mama with 2 or 10, Married Mothers vs. single mothers, food allergies vs. no food allergies, only organic non-gmo fair-trade foods vs. just trying to get your world's pickiest toddler to eat ANYTHING, baby-led weaning vs. purees or waiting longer to introduce solids, cloth diapering vs. disposable diapering, homeschooling vs. public schooling... the list of hot topics for the mommy war debates could go on and on, and I just don't understand... Why does everything have to be a battle? Why does everything turn into a competition? I think it's time we exchange the "vs." for "And".

I cant even begin to tell you how many times I've been judged and stereo-typed. Stereo-typed by my daughter's ex-pediatrician for being a young mother and being told by him that I shouldn't breastfeed my newborn because he didn't think I'd stick with it (I breastfed for 9 months before my milk dried up so I'm pretty sure I did okay), to being publicly judged, criticized and even bashed on Facebook because I don't give my daughter fluoride, because we eat organic when we can and I use God given natural remedies such as essential oils and herbs as much as possible... the list could go on all day. I've even had people judge me because I won't pierce my little girl's ears!

Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and we all have talents  and abilities that the other might not. If you think about it, we're all in this together, so why not bring back the village, forgive a little, love a little and be there for each one another?

Is there a right way to parent? In my opinion, there is... The way YOU parent! That, my dear mama friends, is THE "perfect" and "right" way to parent!

Whatever works best for your little one(s) AND you! Not the way your friend parents, not the way the person judging you parents, not the way that "perfect" mom you follow on Instagram parents her children, not the way your own mother or mother-in-law parents... Only the way you parent your child will work for you and your child. There is no cookie cutter way to parent because there are no cookie cutter people. Every single mother and child is different in their own unique and beautiful way. :)

Is it alright for people to give advice? Absolutely! But if someone doesn't ask for advice, chances are they don't want it. If giving/receiving advice turns into an argument, the best way to fix it is to agree to disagree. Chances are you're not going to convince anyone to change their made up parenting minds and someone is not going to convince you to change yours either... And that's okay. Unfortunately there's always going to be some story in the news that annoys us or that one woman (or man) who leaves a comment beating down another. These are great examples of how mommy wars stay alive, the moment we leave a not so nice comment back to the person who left a rude comment, we only become part of the problem. One thing I've learned over the years is that people on the internet usually can't be reasoned with and I've also learned personally that the best rule of thumb is to think about what you say before you say it, and put yourself in the other persons shoes. Stay at home moms aren't stay at home moms because they're too dumb or lazy to work in the corporate world and working moms don't care less about their children or love them any less just because they don't spend every waking moment with them. Everyone does what is right for their family and what they have to do.

The one thing we all are is super moms, even if we don't always feel like it or we run across someone on the "mommy-war-path" who tells us otherwise and tries to make us feel "mom guilt" or  like we are a "mom fail".

Your house is spotless clean? Great! You're super mom. Your house is dirty? That's life sometimes, you're super mom. You homemade personalized treats for your every child in your little one's playgroup? Seriously, you're super mom. You bought stuff at the store instead of making it yourself? Or maybe you completely forgot? You're still a super mom. You spent every waking moment with your child? You're a super mom. You worked all day to make ends meet and your child was already asleep when you got home? Guess what?You're a super mom. You took a shower and bathed all your little ones today? You're super mom. You didn't change out of pajamas today? Well, You're a super mom too. You love your little one(s) more than anything in the world and would do anything for them? YOU ARE A SUPER MOM.

However you're doing it. If you're doing your best, then you are absolutely doing it right. That is the right, the perfect, the BEST way to parent and to be a mama. Hugs all around mamas!